MINNESOTA UNITED FC vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
TCF Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minnesota
5.05.18 | MLS Week No. 10 | MLS Game No. 9
1:00 p.m. CT (FOX Sports North, MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN)

2018 Records:
MIN: 3-5-0; 2-1-0 at home
VAN: 4-4-1; 2-3-0 on the road

Fresh off a come-from-behind victory over Houston, Minnesota United FC continues its run of five of six matches at home against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Vancouver will also be looking to maintain its current momentum after halting a three-match slide with a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake last week.

The two Western Conference foes will match up on Saturday, May 5 at 1:00 p.m. CT at TCF Bank Stadium. Pre-match coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. on FOX Sports North, streaming at FOX Sports GO and on MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN.

TICKETS

“I said that we could have a better picture of where we are at the end of this home stretch,” Head Coach Adrian Heath said. “It is never easy and we know that. If we play the way we can, I am confident that we can pick up points, climb up the table and get above the red line.”

Defense has been the primary point of conversation this season for Heath and his men and they were encouraged by the stout performance in last week’s 2-1 win over the Dynamo — especially the resiliency after falling behind early and the effort to close out the win late. The backline got another boost with this week’s acquisition of Woodbury native, former Minnesota Mr. Soccer winner and 2017 Colorado Rapids Defensive Player of the Year Eric Miller.

“We rang a lot of people and they could not speak highly enough about him,” Heath said. “It really just made sense for everybody. We were looking for reinforcements — people who have played left and right back and Eric has played centerback as well.”

Miller’s status for this Saturday’s game is still up in the air as he acclimates to life as a Loon. Should he not be able to make his debut, MNUFC will still be in good hands with defender Carter Manley. The 2018 draft pick has impressed his teammates, including his counterpart Jerome Thiesson, since stepping into the starting lineup after injuries to both Tyrone Mears and Marc Burch.

“He showed from the first day of preseason that he was not just a rookie to make up numbers, but would be ready if needed,” Thiesson said. “He is proving that game after game and practice after practice. I am very pleased and happy for him.”

Manley has played the last 225 minutes at right back for the Loons since Burch was subbed off at halftime against Portland. Burch is having surgery to address a torn meniscus that will sideline him indefinitely and Mears continues to work his way back from lingering calf issues.

Thiesson, Manley, Miller and the rest of the backline’s task against the Whitecaps will be very similar to the one they dealt with against Houston. Like the Dynamo, Vancouver stays deep and tries to use its speed to catch teams on counterattacks. Heath said his side coped with Houston well on the break last week, handled its own pace very well and defended more deftly as a collective.

He said a repeat performance is necessary for MNUFC to produce a similar result against the Whitecaps.

“They have a lot of pace on the team and have good weapons,” Heath said. “We are going to have to play well. We are going to need another big performance to get three points on the weekend.”

With forwards Christian Ramirez out and Abu Danladi questionable for the match with hamstring and ankle injuries, respectively, and Sam Nicholson dealt to Colorado in the deal for Miller, the MNUFC attack is in line to feature a pair of new faces. Rookie forward Mason Toye will slot in up top while midfielder Alexi Gomez will help fill in on the left side. Heath also complimented the strides midfielder Frantz Pangop has made in recent weeks and believes the Cameroonian “has some minutes in him” for the first team.

Toye’s likely start comes after an hour-plus outing against Houston in which he flashed his vast reservoir of natural ability. It shined brightest on a second half play where he isolated a defender one-on-one in the box, turned him and created a scoring chance. Heath lauded the rookie’s extended outing, his ability to beat people one-on-one as well as his improving ability to compete in the air — which he credits to Toye’s impressive work ethic.

“He is working hard,” Heath said. “The kid wants to do well and that is always a good sign. Now with the current situation we’re in he is going to have an opportunity. That will tell us at the end of that where we feel he is in his development.”

Toye has one assist in six appearances across 120 minutes this season.

Minnesota United will follow up its match against Vancouver with a midweek West Coast jaunt to face expansion side LAFC on Wednesday, May 9 at 9:00 p.m. CT. Pre-match coverage will begin at 8:30 p.m. CT on FOX Sports North, streaming on FOX Sports Go and on MNUFC Radio on 1500 ESPN.

INJURY REPORT

Minnesota United FC
OUT:
M – Sam Cronin (cervicogenic dysfunction)
M – Kevin Molino (left ACL tear)
M – Ethan Finlay (right ACL tear)
D – Tyrone Mears (lower legs)
D – Marc Burch (left knee, meniscus)
D – Bertrand Owundi Eko’o (left hamstring)
F – Christian Ramirez (right hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE:
F – Abu Danladi (right ankle sprain)
M – Frantz Pangop (right rib contusion)

Vancouver Whitecaps
QUESTIONABLE:
F – Kei Kamara (adductor strain)

FIRST TOUCHES

• Bobby Shuttleworth and Ibson were named to the MLS Team of the Week for Week 9. It is both players first appearance in the Team of the Week in 2018. Shuttleworth has now received the honor five times since joining MNUFC. It was Ibson’s first time earning a spot on the team.
• Shuttleworth earned his first win of the season last match against Houston Dynamo. He made four saves for the second consecutive week.
• Darwin Quintero has gotten on the scoresheet in all three of his MNUFC appearances. He has two goals and an assist across those matches.
• Quintero scored Minnesota’s first penalty attempt of 2018.
• Miguel Ibarra earned his third assist of 2018 last match. He is the only member of the team with multiple assists so far this season.
• All three of Ibarra’s assists have been on match-winning goals. The midfielder leads MLS in the match-winning assists category.
• Collin Martin made his first appearance of the year as a second-half substitute against Houston. He got was awarded a second assist on Ibson’s match-winning goal.
• Alexi Gomez made his first appearance for MNUFC against Houston. He recently joined the club on loan from Universitario de Deportes.
• All three of Minnesota’s wins have ended with 2-1 scorelines.
• Four Vancouver players have received red cards this season: Cristian Techera, Efrain Juarez, Yordy Reyna and Kendall Waston.
• Whitecaps FC will be without Techera this match due to an ejection during the 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. The midfielder received his second yellow card of the night after he took off his jersey celebrating his converted penalty kick.
• Two weeks ago, Vancouver suffered the largest margin of defeat in MLS so far this year, when it was on the wrong end of a 6-0 result at Sporting Kansas City.
• Minnesota (16) and Vancouver (17) have conceded the third and second-most goals in the league.
• Nine of Minnesota’s 11 goals have come in the second half.
• Nine of Minnesota’s 11 goals have come from midfielders.
• Vancouver has allowed 146 shots in 2018, the highest total in the league.
• Both teams have won every match in which they have scored first.
• Whitecaps FC has scored just one goal in the first half of its matches.
• Vancouver midfielder Alphonso Davies is the youngest player to play in a match or score a goal in 2018. He set the mark on opening day against Montreal at 17 years and 122 days old.
• Kendall Waston and Francisco Calvo are captains of their respective clubs and teammates on the Costa Rica national team.
• Waston and Calvo played on Perez Zeledon in 2012.
• Michael Boxall played the 2011 season with Vancouver Whitecaps FC after being taken by the club in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.
• Stefan Marinovic and Boxall are both members of the New Zealand national team.
• Brek Shea and Miguel Ibarra shared the field as members of the U.S. national team on February 8, 2015 in a friendly match against Panama.
• Sean Franklin and Collin Martin were both in the D.C. United organization from 2014 to 2016. Martin spent much of that time on loan to Richmond Kickers.
• Felipe and Collen Warner were teammates on Montreal Impact from 2012-14.